Continuous Breakdown Drill

This drill takes you through a simple drill where multiple breakdown and contact skills are tested. You'll also be given the reasons why it is practised this way.

Continuous Breakdown Drill

This drill takes you through a simple drill where multiple breakdown and contact skills are tested. You'll also be given the reasons why it is practised this way.

Attack vs Defence Continuous Drill 4V2

The attackers work to beat the defence, setting up a 'tip' (running a hard line) and 'pull back' option. They should read the defensive movements and make a decision to hit the tip option or pull out the back.

Four Player Continuous Passing

A quick drill to focus the players before going into a session or at the start of a match day warm up.

British lions - support & attack drill 1

This drill illustrates how attack can go from narrow channels to wide play very quickly, and players should practice this continually

Paul Gustard - Games V Drills For Best Results

How do you decide on the amount of games v drills you do in your sessions. Paul Gustard provides an insight into his view and why

Games or drills ?

The coaches explain why they use games and provide examples of how they deliver a session using games with technical skills as the basis for learning

Most popular passing drill

This practice is repeated at every level of rugby to repeat the most important fundamental of the game. Coaches can change the conditions to make this exercise easier or harder

The Loop pass - basic drill

To develop handling skills

Paul Hull: Continuous Learning

Paul Hull explains the importance of keeping your coaching sessions fresh and constantly learning from others.

Continuity in Attack - The Game Mini

What style of game would we wish to coach young players?
How can we set a coaching environment that encourages creativity in players?

L2 - Continuous Rugby

Skill Practice Description • Play 7 v 7 Continuous Rugby i.e. after a score, the team who has just scored, keeps possession and immediately starts attacking the far try line. • This allows attacker to play against broken defences (defence not spread in a flat line across the field of play). • This will help players to use evasive skills and maintain continuity, with more passing before being tackled (3 second recycles after a tackle or it becomes a turnover). Key Coaching Points • Communication • Quickness of attack at a disorganised defence • Skills to attack space • Footwork and evasion skills • Scanning skills Relevance to the Game • Great for coaching counter attacking and challenging speed in organisation of both attack and defence. • Any player can be ball carrier and communication is vital as is decision making in identifying space and the best way to attack it successfully

Continuity

Continuity

Dean Ryan: Why use Drills?

Dean Ryan explains why drills are sometimes necessary, when breaking down a skill to single components before bringing them back into a game situation.

Dean Ryan: How to use Drills

Dean Ryan explains how he thinks coaches should approach using drills in their sessions.

Pop Off The Ground Touch

Pop Off The Ground Touch

Conor O Shea - games or drills

Conor O Shea discusses the value of comparing games with drills in coaching

Games & drills for tackle technique

The Falcons coaches use a variety of games and breakout drills to progress their tackle technique session. The players respond to questions to vary the style of coaching

Continuous Rugby

QBE - Continuous Rugby

Continuity in Attack - Contact

Continuity in Attack - Contact

Men's - Offloads for Continuity 2

Men's - Offloads for Continuity 2

Tackle bag drill 3 man support after tackle

This is a very effective drill for developing decision making and awareness in support runners off a tackle situation

Sevens - Offloads for continuity

Sevens - Offloads for continuity

CCRU - Principles of Play - Continuity

Continuity through
Evasive running

Passing before contact

During contact

After contact

Chase from the floor reaction drill

A great drill for developing reactions and speed off the floor

Team training - patterns & continuity

Developing continuity skills and understanding how to support

Blitz & Drift Defence Drills

This video takes you through the basics of both blitz and drift defences and provides great drill ideas.

Tackle bag & support hi intensity drill

Sometimes a high intensity, high repitition drill is very effective at getting the point home

Team continuity - using pods

Developing continuity skills in a team enviroment

Continuity

Here are some good examples of continuity to help you in your coaching process

Pre-Season Continuity

Making good decisions around the contact area is a tricky area to coach, Howard Graham from Harlequins explains some of the key factors in what to coach players when focusing on continuity, beating players and offloading to keep the ball in play

Women's - Offload for continuity

Women's - Offload for continuity

Crazy fitness drills

Keeping fitness & conditioning exercises fun and fresh is very challenging as coaches want to ensure these drills are tough and get the players fit. This clip highlights when fitness work should be done and shows some weird and wonderful examples to improve fitness & strength at the breakdown

Chop Tackle - Pad Drill

Aim to develop good tackle habits through repetitive practice. Using pads allows you to train with intensity whilst lowering the impact on the body.

Scrum - New Drills & Progressions

Set piece coach George skivington from London Irish talks through some new tips to coach the scrum

11. 4 v 2 Continuous Touch Rugby

Premiership Coaches on Continuous Learning

No coach knows it all. Even the top professionals go out and look for inspiration and advice from their peers, and from other sports.

Lions 09 - tactical kicking drill 2 blindside

A practice for developing understanding the role of chasers and counter kicking

Lions 09 - tactical kicking drill - chase and return

Developing an awareness of applying pressure through an effective kick chase system

Fringe Attack - Pop and Ruck

Attacking close around the fringe can minimise risk of losing the ball and can help turn slow ball into quick ball, putting the defence on the back-foot.

Turn and chase reaction drill

A very effective start to developing a players reactions and ability to get back into the game

3. Support - Colour Reaction Drill

Isolated technical practice

Courtesy of the SRU

Quick Ball Presentation Drills

Use these quick and competitive games to practice good and strong ball presentation. Practice with high standards and it will come naturally in the games!

Continuity in Attack - Bath Match

Tackle bag drill in 4s with support

A progression for developing support after contact

Continuity in Attack - The Game

What style of game would we wish to coach our young players to aspire to?
How can we set a coaching environment that encourages creativity in our players?

Chase the player from kneeling reaction drill

A progression from standing this develops the ability to get to back into the game from the floor

Tackle bag drill one hit & support

support has to read whch bag is being tackled and get to be in support by reading the situation

Continuity in Attack - Diamond Practice

The diamond practice can be the break out session of a whole part whole approach.
It is common when running such a practice for the attacking players to arrive at the tackle line having caught each other up. Depth should be maintained in order for the diamond shape to be fully effective.

The initial ball carrier needs to use footwork to move and disrtupt the defensive shape

3. Half Back Play Continued

A scrum half needs good vision, speed and awareness, quick hands and lightning reactions. The scrum half is the key link between the forwards and the back line. A good scrum half will know how to vary the play and take advantage of any opportunity that the opposition may offer
The fly half is the heart beat of the side and should be a key influence on the way the team plays the game. Almost every attack will go through the fly half, so they need to develop tactical awareness, accurate passing, kicking accuracy, vision, leadership and resilience

Continuity in Attack - Tag

Children have natural evasion skills. It is adults who coach children to run into obstacles

British Lions - Play from scrum - continuity 2

Developing play from the scrum is an important part of the understanding of how the scrum is part of a gameplan

Continuity - Keeping The Ball alive

Support is one of the "Principles of play" and finding the right depth can be tricky. Harlequins Academy Manager Howard Graham delivers an excellent exercise to practise improving support play

Men's - Offloads for Continuity 1

Lineout - Speed & Movement Drill

Working in pods of three on speed & movement will help you win line outs. Players also develop better skills in order to play a better standard of rugby and help others around them. Another London Irish coaching resource

Continuity in Attack - Diamond Practice U9

When the coach runs an isolated practice it is important to link the practice to the game.
Here the coach introduces the concept of a diamond support for the first time, then runs a game, pausing the action so the players learn the relevance of the practice. They quickly understand and can execute the play even in difficult and wet conditions

Continuity in Attack - French Mini's

These young players may not run forward every time, but they do manage to keep possession through communication, support and passing. The coach allows the players to learn through discovery and with little intervention and direction

Junior - Continuity of play 1

Junior - Continuity of play 2

Continuous Performance Profiling - Tactical

Watch white 13 and assess the tactical development you as the coach might wish to address. What process would you use?

Lions - play from scrum - continuity

Developing play from the scrum is an important part of the understanding of how the scrum is part of a gameplan

10. Principles of Play-Continuity

Continuous Performance Profiling - Technical

Watch white 13 and assess the technical development you as the coach might wish to address. What process would you use?

Quick Ball Presentation Drills

Use these quick and competitive games to practice good and strong ball presentation. Practice with high standards and it will come naturally in the games!

Lions 09 - tactical kicking drill - kicking from 12

Tactical kicking can be undertaken by different players

Lions 09 - linespeed defence drill

Developing linespeed is fundamental to applying pressure to an attack line

Lions 09 - tactical kicking drill 1

Developing an awareness of how to apply pressure through an effective kick chase policy

Continuity in Attack - Tag Mini

Children have natural evaision skills. It is adults who teach children rugby players to run into obstacles

Change the point of attack - 4 v 3

This drill allows you to develop decision making by varying the attack and defence continually thus accelerating learning

3 v 2 in Channel

A development of the 2 v 1 and 3 v1 drills, the attackers now must beat 2 defenders. This requires more decision-making ability as the movements of the defenders could change every time. Players must communicate as well as continue to perform their handling and running skills.

Defensive Organisation - Re-alignment

Players must observe the actions of the attacking side, and organise their defensive line early to be able to counter it. A continuous drill that requires patience and good communication.

Pull back Pass

A clever exercise that keeps the players involved and moving constantly with an emphasis on depth and accurate passing. Players need to concentrate, communicate and be accurate if the drill is to continue. Coaches can add width, more players or in this example another ball to increase difficulty

USA Sevens - Techniques For Contact

Retaining possession in Seven's wins matches, it's that simple but these days you need to improve your contact skills. Phil Greening provides a few tips and some insight into some of the USA's training drills

Breakdown - Competing For The Ball

A great drill with explanations and supporting theory to help coaches improve their players accuracy and legality at the breakdown

Planning your session & set up

Spending a few minutes to set up will improve the quality of your session considerably. Mixing games and breakout drills keeps the training fresh and interesting while the progressions you use reinforce the skills you are teaching

Passing in 2s

Working in pairs, the key point of this passing drill is for the support runner to be deep and taking the ball at pace.

Tackle Technique - Full Session

[WITH DRILL VIDEOS] This session from Joe Goodman (Bristol University Rugby) has been designed to prepare players for a return to full contact competition, re-establishing correct technique to ensure safe, efficient tackling through progressively increasing the level of contact and complexity of skill execution.

Learning to tackle - Step 5

Putting more pressure on players to take responsibility and make a tackle, 1v1 drills are challenging for young players, but also very beneficial.

Breakdown Fundamentals - Bridge Endurance (Frogs)

Body position and supporting your own body weight is a contentious issue at the breakdown. In this drill a combat coach explains how to become better at supporting your own body weight. This is a series of body movements to strengthen the core and improve flexibility

Maul and Ruck - Misunderstanding the breakdown

Training through traditional drills does not develop game understanding and players often become robotic in their behaviour

Conditioned games promote game understanding and encourage players to recognise the needs at any given situation

The drill should be used only to refine technique

Maul and Ruck - Under 13s and 14s Ruck

Training through traditional drills does not develop game understanding and players often become robotic in their behaviour

Conditioned games promote game understanding and encourage players to recognise the needs at any given situation

The drill should be used only to refine technique and the danger is to develop players that act without game understanding

Lateral passing in 4s

An essential drill for new players, or a simple but relevant one for experienced players. New players should make sure their passes are not forward and are targeted in front of their teammate's chest. More experienced players can focus on speed of pass and footwork. In this example, a large group is split into two adjacent drills to ensure players aren't stationary for too long.

Breakdown - The Saddle Roll Technique

This clearing technique is used to remove defenders who have latched onto the ball and are in a low body position. Coaches can vary the angle that the clearers approach from

Scrum - Tighthead tips for Senior Players

The dark arts are not for all of us, but the minority of specialists will benefit from this clip. You can share this video with those who should see it. Go into the video library where you can send it on - RCD Video Library

Drift Defence from Breakdown

After starting with a defence-focused game, this drill can be used to focus on organising a drift defence from the breakdown. The four defenders touch all cones in the tackle area to simulate chaos before getting into position.

Quins - Using Games In Training

Elite coaches explain how they translate their desired playing philosophy and principles into practical hands-on coaching approaches, drills and games

3v2 Warm Up To Switch On

Use this quick warm up drill to switch your players on for the session. It works on defence and attacking decision making as well as handling.

Military fitness for games - Pre season

Pre season fitness can be tedious and repetitive however you can integrate the latest fitness drills into games of touch or other conditioned games to make your training more challenging

Games for Coaching - Examples

Coaches often request ideas to help them plan sessions. Here are some examples of the conditions that coaches can apply to make training more challenging and enjoyable

New Rules of Play - Under 10s - Coaching Points

This video provides some detailed coaching points that the Saracens community coaches would recommend age groups coaches focus on in their sessions

Agility Games for contact warm up

Saracens community coach uses games and competitive activities to introduce the contact elements of rugby. This builds confidence in players prior to actual contact skills

Quins - Defence Spacing & Line Speed

Tony Dirpose from Harlequins delivers a unit defence exercise on spacing and line speed

Parramatta Touch

A conditioned game for support and continuity

Farrell & Ford - Spin Passes

The quality of passes from Ford and Farrell to enable Elliot Daley to slide past his defender was the difference in the Wales V England match. The skills required to perfect these passes were honed on the training ground over several years. See what type of drills they did and still do

Developing Your Personal Coaching Style

Valuable coaching insights into developing your own coaching style, confirming player understanding and learning from experience

Warming up - Options to consider

Should coaches combine games, drills and stretching in their warm ups. The Wasps coaches combine some physical running work and games as an example

Breakdown Skills - Progressions

Loosehead Prop Tips

Technical pointers for senior loosehead props in the scrum. Share this video by going clicking a blue tab below and selecting the share icon

Contact Warm-up

A multi-stage bag drill that gets players ready for an intense contact session.

Paul Gustard - The Importance of Basics

Paul Gustard explains the importance of basic skills.